Deep Bench Makes Chicago Bulls True Contenders

The Chicago Bulls front office came up empty in their attempts to land big-fish Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love this summer, but the failure to lure a max-deal player to the shores of Lake Michigan turned out to be a huge success. A deal with Anthony would have swallowed up all of their cap space and required dumping the salary of Mike Dunleavy Jr. More than likely Taj Gibson would have been traded, too.

A trade for Love would have cost them draft picks and some combination of Jimmy Butler, Gibson, and the rights to Nikola Mirotic. Instead of using all of their cap space on Anthony, or shipping out precious assets to attain Love, John Paxson and Gar Forman were able to use the draft and remaining pool of free agents to acquire personnel that fit the needs of the roster and complement the players already on the team. Now, instead of having one of those two and a bunch of veteran-minimum guys, the Chicago Bulls now have a reserve unit that rivals any in the league to pair with a dangerous starting five. Though the return of Derrick Rose and the acquisition of Pau Gasol get all the press, it’s the revamped bench that makes the Bulls legitimate title contenders.

After exercising the amnesty clause on much maligned power forward Carlos Boozer, the plan was to inject Gibson into his spot once Anthony was in a Bulls uniform. Obviously that didn’t happen, but the Bulls are better off for it. Chicago upgraded at the position with Gasol, and they’ll still have a starting-caliber forward coming off the pine. Gibson might not be jumping for joy, but his defensive ability makes him more valuable as a reserve. The rest of the bench is full of players who can score well, but also come with questionable defense. Having Gibson on the court with them will help to negate those deficiencies. He’ll still get plenty of run with his buddy Joakim Noah, too, to form perhaps the league’s best defensive frontcourt. At this stage of his career Gasol isn’t suited to play big minutes, so Gibson will still get close to 30 minutes a night and be a favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year.

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Even with Boozer starting games, it was Gibson that head coach Tom Thibodeau chose to finish them. And, because of Gasol’s declining defensive ability, Gibson will more than likely still be the power forward Thibodeau chooses play down the stretch. His albatross-like wingspan and mobility make him a perfect fit in Thibodeau’s defense, particularly when they ratchet up the defensive intensity to close teams out in the final quarter. The icing on the cake is that his offensive game has progressed in each of his five years in the league. Last year he averaged a career-high 13 points per game for the offensively challenged club, and displayed a bevy of new post moves along the way.

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It was abundantly clear that Chicago wanted to add shooters to the roster after finishing the season with the fifth fewest three-pointers made. They did that in spades, beginning with acquiring sharpshooter Doug McDermott on draft night. The four-year collegian was generally regarded as the best shooter in the draft and has the skill and maturity to step in and contribute right away. One of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history, McDermott shot over 40% from deep in each of his four years at Creighton. Armed with a quick release and unlimited range, “Dougie McBuckets” may even challenge for the starting spot at small forward before the season is over. During summer league action, where he averaged 18 points per game, Chicago ran many of the same sets they used to get fellow Creighton-alum Kyle Korver open looks during his stint in the Windy City. McDermott has drawn comparisons to Korver for his shooting prowess but that’s where the comparisons should stop. McDermott is far more capable of attacking closeouts and has somewhat of a Nowitzki-esque post game when checked by a smaller defender. The unorthodox one-legged fall away that even players like Kevin Durant have adopted is very much an arrow in the marksman’s proverbial quiver.

The knock on McDermott is his underwhelming athleticism, and though it is underrated, his craftiness and ability to hit those types of shot make up for shortcomings in that area. His game has a lot of Paul Pierce in it, who faced the same criticisms coming out of Kansas. He has great instincts, moves very well off the ball and finds soft spots in the defense to spot up like a seasoned-vet. McDermott will get plenty of open looks after the defense collapses on a driving Rose, giving him ample opportunity to earn that nickname on the big stage.

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The scary part for opposing defenses is that McDermott might not even be the best shooter added to the roster. Bulls fans salivating over European prospect Nikola Mirotic were finally satiated when Chicago brought him over on a three-year deal to provide even MORE frontcourt depth. Mirotic is a true “stretch-4”, which has become a hot commodity in today’s league. He checks in at 6’10” with a 7’1” wingspan, and possesses a smooth, high arcing jumper that he used to connect on 46% of the three-point attempts he took for Real Madrid this past season. There were whispers among GMs that had Mirotic been in this year’s draft he would have been a top-5 pick, and ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell reported that Forman was offered top-10 picks from several teams in exchange for his rights. Not surprising, considering the 23-year old Spanish-Montenegrin was the consensus “best player in the world not suiting up for an NBA team” before reaching a buyout agreement with Real Madrid to join the Bulls. Just as the shooting threat of Toni Kukoc cleared space in the lane for Michael Jordan to work, Mirotic’s floor-stretching presence will help Derrick Rose get to the bucket with increased ease. Though it’s always difficult to project how a European player’s game will translate over to the NBA, Mirotic certainly seems to have what it takes to contribute for a team in desperate need for outside shooting. Even with a loaded frontcourt he’ll see lots of court time and will look to prove that he belongs among the world’s best players.

Filling out the backcourt reserves will be second-year swingman Tony Snell, Kirk Hinrich, and Aaron Brooks. Snell was forced into more action than Thibodeau would have liked after Luol Deng was traded mid-season, and though he sufficiently filled his quota of rookie mistakes Snell also provided glimpses of what compelled the front office to draft him with the 20^th overall pick in 2013. Knowing that he’ll play an even larger role this year Snell worked hard in the offseason, tacking on substantial muscle mass to his wiry frame. This, coupled with his experience from last year, will allow him to progress further defensively and start to put his natural tools to good use.

His offense seems to be coming along, too. During his time in the Las Vegas summer league Snell dropped in 20 points per game while shooting 50% from deep. It will be difficult to maintain that percentage but it’s far more indicative of his ability than the 32% he shot last year. He flashed improved ball handling and willingness to attack the basket, but paramount was his confidence with the ball. Often times last season Snell was indecisive and hesitant to shoot, leading to turnovers or missed shots. Snell will use that heightened confidence to build on an overall solid rookie campaign to be a legitimate rotation player for Chicago this year.

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The yin-yang duo of Hinrich and Brooks will handle back up point guard duties. Hinrich is a Thibodeau favorite for his hard-nosed defense and ability to run an offense. With so many fresh faces on the team it must be comforting for Thibodeau to have a back up point guard that can be trusted to operate the second unit with continuity while also maintaining his defensive standard. Hinrich’s body can’t withstand starter minutes at this point but with decreased time expect his efficiency to skyrocket. Brooks, on the other hand, is an offensive sparkplug with reliable outside shooting. He also serves as a nice insurance policy in case of injury. Thibodeau has made good use of undersized, score-first point guards in the past so don’t be surprised if the former Oregon Duck ends up being a valuable cog in Chicago’s championship quest.

It wasn’t long ago that calls for Forman and Paxson to be fired echoed throughout the city. Those demands have all but disappeared in wake of the job they did constructing this year’s team. The architecture of the roster would impress Frank Lloyd Wright. The perfect blend of scorers and defenders enables the Chicago to play a number of styles, depending on the situation. A staunch defensive lineup consisting Rose, Snell, Butler, Gibson, and Noah would put a stranglehold on opposing offenses. A lineup of Brooks, Rose, McDermott or Dunleavy Jr., Mirotic, and Gasol would be a nightmare to defend. Thibodeau could also employ a “jumbo” lineup with Rose and Butler at the guard positions and Mirotic, Gasol, and Noah in the frontcourt. With this team the possibilities are plentiful. Most importantly the stable of talent (hopefully) means that nobody will play more than 35 minutes a night and the team will be fresh for a deep postseason run.

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It’s the San Antonio model for success. The Miami Heat had three superstars but few options off the bench. San Antonio, with a deep bench, exploited this en route to their finals victory. Oklahoma City has the same problem and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be no different. Just as Chicago would have been forced to do, the Cavs traded young assets to get Kevin Love. Because of the contracts of Love, LeBron, and Kyrie Irving their bench consists of past their prime veterans and unproven youngsters. The contrast in bench play will be the deciding factor when facing the Bulls, just as it was for Miami against San Antonio.

From top to bottom this is the best squad Chicago has fielded since winning their last championship in 1998. Let’s just hope for the same result.